ONGC pipeline causes oil spill off Mumbai coast

An oil spill was reported today off the Mumbai coast following a rupture in a pipeline carrying crude oil from state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp's (ONGC) offshore oilfields.

The leakage in a pipeline carrying Mumbai High crude oil to Uran was reported around 0845 hrs and production was immediately stopped, a senior company official said.

"Production from the Mumbai High and Bassein oilfields was restarted around 0950 hrs and crude oil is being transported to shore using a separate line," he said.

ONGC boats and Coast Guards vessels have been pressed into service to assess the damage. "Right now it is difficult to say what the damage has been," he said.

Production from the field was stopped for a shortwhile following the incident but was resumed shortly after oil flow from subsea wells was diverted through another line.

Mumbai High and Bassein fields together produce 247,000 barrels of oil per day and the brief stoppage would mean that they would produce about 25,000 barrels less oil today.

The official said divers are being pressed into service to go down to sea-bed to assess the damage to the pipeline.

"Remedial measures will follow once we know the extent of the oil spill," he added.